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i have been seeing this as well and while I know it is perfectly legal to slice pork for turn in, I know it is illegal to butcher the pork before cooking it. A pork shoulder, butt or picnic is too muscularly confusing to result in a perfect slicing peice like some people turn in. You can obviously see how some people are butchering their meat before cooking it due to the rub being around the entire slice of cut meat as well as a smoke ring around the entire perimeter of these newly popular slices. Why isn't this rule enforced more? I saw some in Wildwood and brought it to the attention of some people and they 'explained' to me how the team cut the meat after they cooked it, I don't buy all of it. Can any light be shed on this?

i have been seeing this as well and while I know it is perfectly legal to slice pork for turn in, I know it is illegal to butcher the pork before cooking it. A pork shoulder, butt or picnic is too muscularly confusing to result in a perfect slicing peice like some people turn in. You can obviously see how some people are butchering their meat before cooking it due to the rub being around the entire slice of cut meat as well as a smoke ring around the entire perimeter of these newly popular slices. Why isn't this rule enforced more? I saw some in Wildwood and brought it to the attention of some people and they 'explained' to me how the team cut the meat after they cooked it, I don't buy all of it. Can any light be shed on this?

Podge is right, creative knife skills can confuse some. Temps. for sliced is lower than pulled. Cooking methods enter that thought when using the same piece of product. Here in the midwest they like sliced pieces in the box. Steve.

It's legal, we learned the slicing technique from taking a BBQ class ... taught be a board member.

It's commonly referred to as the money muscle, it's the muscle opposite the bone end of the butt. It's fairly simple to part the butt along this fat line so about 3/4 of this entire muscle is exposed to rub and air as it smokes. As Podge mentions, the butt that is getting used for the sliced portion of the turn in is not getting cooked to 195-200 internal, closer to 180, thus sliceable. And this muscle is still very tender to the bite even at that temp.

But here's my question. After I get the money muscle to my desired temp, can I cut it away from the rest of the pork butt and put the pork butt back in to get the rest of it to pull temp? Technically, pork is cooked at 160. I've been leaving my slicer butt whole after cooking it becuase I don't know the rules and don't want to take any chances of it drying out but man it would be nice to be able to get all the butts to pull temp so when they are eaten later they have that great texture.

There are a few ways to get good slices from a pork but. One method, is to partially separate a muscle or muscle group from the roast, leaving it partially attached. Since most people like to slice at a lower internal temp than they pull from, a separate butt is generally used for this purpose.

But here's my question. After I get the money muscle to my desired temp, can I cut it away from the rest of the pork butt and put the pork butt back in to get the rest of it to pull temp? Technically, pork is cooked at 160. I've been leaving my slicer butt whole after cooking it becuase I don't know the rules and don't want to take any chances of it drying out but man it would be nice to be able to get all the butts to pull temp so when they are eaten later they have that great texture.

There was a thread a few weeks ago going over just this topic. I interpret that being a BBQ competition, and in competition, cooked pork for pulled is in the neighborhood of anywhere from 190-205, and sliced is lower than that. If a person was to separate the butt to get the money muscle off, and throw the rest of the butt in the cooker for pulled, that butt is not cooked all the way, and therefore parted before it's cooked. I believe that in my interpretation, this method is illegal.

(160 for techical, but since we're cooking for something other than food safety, i've rulled this temp. out)

But here's my question. After I get the money muscle to my desired temp, can I cut it away from the rest of the pork butt and put the pork butt back in to get the rest of it to pull temp? Technically, pork is cooked at 160. I've been leaving my slicer butt whole after cooking it becuase I don't know the rules and don't want to take any chances of it drying out but man it would be nice to be able to get all the butts to pull temp so when they are eaten later they have that great texture.

I've been thinking about this too, because there's not too much sliced down my way. To the one's who have experience in the area, is it necessary to put sliced in the box to be competitive at the Royal?

It has to be cooked whole and connected to the butt. Once you've cut the part away that you plan to slice for turn ins, that butt can not be returned to cook longer for competition use.......take it home and finish it in the oven..... :)